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Friday, September 23, 2011:

• 4:00 - 9:00 PM – Traditional Music Session at The Press Room (77 Daniel St.)

Saturday, September 24, 2011:

• 10:00 - 11:30 AM – Roving Shantying Around Town starts in front of RiRa in the Market Square and wanders on a course unknown through the streets of Portsmouth.
• 10:30 - 11:30 AM – NEW EVENT! Maritime program for children and families, “Music in My Pockets” at RiverRun Books (20 Congress St.)
• 12:00 - 12:45 PM – Mudhook performs at Prescott Park, as part of the Fishtival.
• 12:00 - 1:30 PM – “Both Sides of the Pond” – a musical demonstration of the similarities and differences of sea songs from England and America; held at Warner House (150 Daniel St.) RAIN LOCATION: Discover Portsmouth Center
• 12:00 - 2:00 PM – “Fo’c’s’le Ballads” – also called “forebitters,” these were the songs sailors would sing for their own pleasure and entertainment, as opposed to shanties, which were strictly used for work; held at Discover Portsmouth Center (1 Islington St.)
• 12:00 - 2:00 PM – “Setting Sail” at Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden (154 Market St.)
• 2:30 - 5:00 PM – Maritime Open Sing at The Press Room (77 Daniel St.)
• 7:00 - 10:30 PM – “Nor’easters” Evening Program with featured Festival artists, United Methodist Church (129 Miller Ave.)

Sunday, September 25, 2011 – Ongoing in the Market Square, 1:00 - 5:30 PM:

• Street performances in front of RiRa (22-26 Market Sq.) RAIN LOCATION: inside RiRa
• Performances at The Works Bakery Cafe (9 Congress St.)
• Cameo Concerts at Portsmouth Athenaeum (9 Market Sq.)
• Cameo Concerts at Oppenheimer & Co. (30 Penhallow St.)
• 2:00 - 4:45 PM – Sing-Around at the Rusty Hammer (49 Pleasant St.)
• 5:00 PM – Shanty Blast Finale in Market Square

Traditional Music Session at the Press Room

For nearly 30 years, the Press Room, at 77 Daniel St, has been the home of a traditional music and song open session on Friday nights. From 4-9 PM, local singers and musicians gather in this popular pub to join in with Irish, English, Scottish and American folk music. Listeners and participants welcome! Bring your instrument and your voice, and prepare to sing a lot of choruses. The session tonight will have a strong emphasis on sea music.
Accessibility moderate: granite step up to first floor, outward-opening wide door, standard restrooms.

Roving Shantying Around Town

For the second year, this event will take place Saturday morning to welcome in and announce the festival. Maritime singers, shantymen, and bold Festival privateers will start at 10:00 AM in front of RiRa in the Market Square, and will proceed through the town, singing as they go. Their mission is to surprise, delight, and inform the public with sea songs galore, distributing knowledge and festival flyers as they wander. Catch them on your block!
Accessibility good: this is outdoors on the brick sidewalks, sidewalk cuts from street, no restrooms. Bear in mind, this is a moving event, not established in one location.

“Music in My Pockets”

Thanks to support from the New Hampshire Humanities Council, we are pleased to offer this program for children and families. Jeff Warner will share singing games, funny songs, old songs, and “pocket instruments” like spoons and dancing puppets. The audience will revisit 1850 to 1910 in a New England port, participating in timeless, hearty entertainment and learning how America amused itself before electricity. The one-hour program will be held at RiverRun Books (20 Congress St.)
Full Accessibility: ground floor, straight in from sidewalk, wide door, accessible restrooms.

Maritime Open Sing

Tom Hall and Linn Schulz have hosted a monthly shanty and forebitter session at the Press Room, 77 Daniel St, for the past eight and a half years. The usual sea music session is held on the third Saturday of the month, from 3:30-7:30 PM. However, this very special second monthly session will run from 2:30-5:00 PM. This is a strongly vocal session, with sea shanties and easy choruses heavily featured. Also heard are many of the seamen’s off-duty, non-work songs, known as forebitters. As always, listeners and participants welcome!
Accessibility moderate: granite step up to first floor, outward-opening wide door, standard restrooms.

“Nor’easters” Saturday Evening Concert

For the third year, through the generosity of Celtic Crossing gift shop, we are pleased to present a full-length evening concert at Sanborn Hall, part of the United Methodist Church in Portsmouth, 129 Miller Ave. Performers will be Great Bay Sailor, John Roberts and Gordon Bok. The church is just south of the Middle Street/Miller Ave/Summer Street intersection, on the east side of Miller. Doors open at 6:30PM; parking is available in the church lot.
Full Accessibility: Ramp, stair lift, accessible restrooms.

Cameo Concerts at Portsmouth Athenaeum and Oppenheimer & Co.

The Portsmouth Athenaeum is a non-profit membership library and museum, incorporated in 1817 and located in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth. With a strong interest in local and regional history, especially local maritime history, the Athenaeum ground-floor reading room is an ideal venue for intimate cameo concerts.
Accessibility moderate: one granite step up to first floor, outward-opening double doors, no restrooms.

Returning for the fourth year as a venue, Oppenheimer is located on a side street in back of the Market Square Shanty Blast location. This comfortable, cozy space doubles the opportunities to hear festival performers in half-hour mini-concerts.
Accessibility: Full, with pre-arrangement. Otherwise difficult: six granite steps up to standard outward-opening door, accessible restrooms on a lower level.

Sing-Around at the Rusty Hammer

Hosted by Linn Schulz and Tom Hall, the Sunday Maritime Sing will feature various festival performers, coming and going throughout the afternoon, as well as audience participants. This is the sixth year the Rusty Hammer restaurant has been a sponsor. Drop in for a pint and a few choruses – 49 Pleasant Street, on the corner of State Street, near the Market Square.
Accessibility difficult: street level, standard outward-opening doors, narrow entry hall, interior steps, standard restrooms.

Shanty Blast Finale

A giant, roaring final sing ends the weekend with a blast. All performers gather on the sidewalk in Market Square in front of RiRa as each takes a turn leading a shanty. The whole crew, and audience, too, belts out chorus after chorus – a rousing sight and sound, indeed!
Accessibility good: this is outdoors on the brick sidewalk, sidewalk cuts from street, no restrooms.